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In 1889 the Black inventor, William H. Richardson, patented a new type of baby carriage. William Kent invented the first baby carriage in England in 1733. The carriage was accented with gold and silver and designed to be pulled by a miniature pony. Due to the expense of early strollers, they were inaccessible to most working-class families. Working-class families did have them had carriages made out of cheaper materials like wood or wicker.

Richardson improved upon the carriage’s original design by using a special joint that would allow the bassinet to face toward or away from the operator. He also upgraded the rotation of the wheels on the carriage so that they could turn independently. This allowed the carriage to turn 360 degrees in a smaller turning radius. Before his invention, carriages could only turn 90 degrees. Richardson’s design also increased affordability, making carriages more widely accessible to the middle class.   

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